Little Falls transcript. [volume] (Little Falls, Morrison County, Minn.) 1876-1894, 1887-02-11


not argue that the boy would hold
the marked folder against him i
therefore changed my route to Portage
city, and at the Junction got track
of my man. He had no ticket, but
had paid his fare in cash. It was
night, and the state Of his hair had
not been noticed, but the conductor
described Lanes general appearance.
and said that he had changed 500
bill for him. He might go no further
than Beaver Dam, and got of there
and looked around for q few hours.
No trace of him had been had and I
was at the depot to take the tram,
when q conversation between two
young men became interesting.
you ought to have told somebody"
protested one. ~ ~ 49,.
ayes, and been laughed at," replied
the other. $50 I. 4
"And he had ten thousand dollars?'
eyes, double that" go. IT,
"And he was counting it on the
bed?"
eyes"
"Ill bet he was robber."
"May be, but he was off early in the
morning. Well, so long, Tom-here's
the train.
The one who had seen some one
counting money was going west by my
train, and Ischemed toget seat with
him and draw him out. He was a por-
ter at one OF the hotels in Portage, and
he had seen a guest answering Lanes
description countingsuch a lot OF mon
ey that it covered half the bed. The
porter had made his observation
through the keyhole OF the door, and,
being ashamed of himself, had hest
tated to 60 to thelandlord. The man
had arrived without baggage, but had
there purchased valise, and his nerv.
Gus manner and the sight of so much
money in his possession had led the
porter to finally conclude that there
was a mystery there somewhere, al
though he had not spoken Of it to any
one around the house: The man had
purchased q suit OF coarse clothes,
with hat and shoes to match, and IN
leaving had taken the highway leading
to ward Oshkosh. He had purchased
another bottle OF hair dye in Portage,
but had apparently given his red hair
up as q bad job. He not only left
the bottle in his room, but by means
OF soap and water washed off what
dye he had put on at Milwaukee.
Lane had given the landlord to I'm.
dersta,nd that he was hard working
young man who had started out to
look for q job, but he had departed
without fixing on anything definite. I
did not believe he would 90 to Osh.
kosh. He was acting like a man
who reasoned that ii he could hide
himself away in the country for a few
weeks his crime and his identity would
both be forgotten. TO catch the en-
bezzler without capturing his swag
would have been no credit to me. He
had several days the start of me, and
had by this time got a job of some
sort. procured a rough suit OF
clothes, hired horse and set off on
his trail: He headed toward Oshkosh
for five or six miles, and then turned
directly north. It was in the fall OF
the year and thu roads were in bad
condition, but he made twen-
ty-four miles that first day,
not stopping at all for dinner. He
went to the notheast for six miles,
and then he turned due west, almost
on a line with La Crosse, and went
eight miles before stopping at an inn.
only made the same number fmiles
on horseback, but as he had to lie by
the next forenoon on account OF the
rain, while l had good weather, Igain-
ed half day on him. He proceeded
toward La Crosse for ten miles more
and then went north two miles, and
stayed over night with a farmer and
talked about going to work in a saw
mill. Next day he headed due west,
and reached the Wisconsin river at g.
hamlet called Little Bend. It was on
the sixth day after he left Milwaukee
that / located him, and he had then
been at work in q saw-mill for day
and a half. entered the hamlet on
foot, as he had done, having a few
clothes in a bundle, and it was soon
known to the seventy-fve or eighty
population, that was in search of
work. The owner of the only store in
the place also kept saloon and a
tavern. and, under pretence OF being
foot-sore and used up, / remained idle
for two or three days, although the
mill owner was short of hands and
desired me to go to work at o nee.
1t may be thought strange that I
did not at once arrest Lane and have
done with it. Had l overhauled HIM
en- route that would have been the
plan, for the money would have been
in his valise. He had taken board at
the tavern, and during my first half
day there had found his room open
and his valise unlocked. There was
nothing in it which anyone would
want to take away. He had, like a.
sharp man, taken his money out and
planted it. He could, not Justly sus-
pect that l was after him, for after
three or four days / ,wept to work
alongside of him and held him at q
distance. He, tried hard to get &C.
quainted with me, but was taciturn
and unsocial. He gave me an oppor-
tunity to ask him questions, but re-
fused to profit by it. i admitted, for
a purpose. that / left Milwaukee four
or five days; behind him, and after
seeming to reflect for while, he ask.
ed: .t,.f - 80. i,
WAS there any special news when
you left?'"
Il don't rcrDember.'' - -, II -.
'!No murders or 70 bberies." ~r
= ''There was asmystery of some sort,
/ believe. Somebody drew a lot of
money out OF the bank, fell into the
hands ofsharpers, and they werelo ok-
ing in the river and lake for his dead
body" :a.s=.-4@sss $s.= IA "a
T. '.Hem!" he coughed. and that ended
our conversation, though I did not
TAIL to notice the look OF qualification
which crept over his face. That he
had hidden the treasure was certain.
That he would visit it sooner or later